Zach Sobiech

Hold on to your true you

From far and wide, 

I heard you applauded to the sky, 

By folks a thousand times  

More celebrated than you, 

set my mind ticking- 

"o what is it in you'young man 

with red patches on face, 

a flimsy body that cannot stand straight, 

long bony legs that needed crutches, 

thinning hair and shaky hands."

my heart asked the mind to stop thinking- 

put the mind to bed too early for its time,so it 

better stop speaking bad about the  

most inspiring 17 year old ever lived. 

the heart had the same question  

"what was it about the gentle man, 

that made warm tears  

blur my vision every time 

i heard about him?"

the thoughts that followed, 

made my heart heavy, 

so much that i had to 

take a deep breath to say composed. 

memories of him flashed: 

him tidying his scanty hair over his head, 

prepping on his crutches - 

all this while there was no sign of discomfort, 

like all of it came very easily, 

and it was a way life.

"a fine young man he was, 

lived his days to the fullest, 

always had a smile to give, 

and believe me that smile blossomed your day. 

always lived in the today- 

and went to bed happy that he he'd spent 

his gift aptly and not taken it for granted."

i stopped midway_picked up the paper, 

re-read the verse- 

what is 'living the days to the fullest'? 

or what's a 'perfect day'?  

i looked up and stared to nowhere for ages. 

so does it mean- 

burying my head in workbooks for 6 or 7 or 8 hours? 

apparently,well, maybe, but- 

it simply doesn't fill well.

so i stared.to nowhere.some more. 

and thus when the following thought came, 

i thought i had reached home. 

"o if i wish a kind "good morning" to the newspaper 

delivery boy and wave at the watchman, 

why ? o why cannot i simply stop being stubborn  

and throw Darcy a kind smile ? 

so what if he's being tough. 

why does that have to make me change my ways? 

and who knows that smile just light up his day?"

"o if i was just king enough to say a 'thank you"  

to the rickshaw man to return my change 

cannot i be indifferent and smile away at Kleo?  

and just keep my mouth shut when she says something  

critical about my hair or about the band on my hair?"

"o i was s o tolerant to my 5 year old whimsical neighbor,  

giving away to all her demands  

to the extent of letting her paint my nails and play with my hair 

could i just stop giving Pearl a bored look  

which says 'you are mad. stupid.shut up.blonde'  

and not throw water over her enthusiasm?"

"o if i know to forget and forgive caoch for his taunts, 

Sara for her over the top 'sarcasm' 

my relatives for poking their noses in my life, 

do i have the right to stay mad at my father  

or stop taking to him?"

they say life is the length of a hand span 

and the last thing i would want 

is that span to be filled the names of  

those whom I've not made up to or whom I've let down.

well i think its about time i shrugged off  

this attitude coat I've been wearing 

and make all our lives easier 

because you see, love is all i have to give 

love is all i need- 

the rest can be done without.

ZACH SOBIECH YOU LEFT THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE THAN THE ONE IN WHICH YOU LIVED. 

HAVE OUTLIVED THE ALL OF US. RIP.